zsh: permission denied: ./script.sh

You’re trying to run a file that doesn’t have execute permission.

Fix 1: Add Execute Permission

chmod +x ./script.sh
./script.sh

That’s it for 90% of cases. The file exists but isn’t marked as executable.

Fix 2: Run With the Interpreter Directly

If you can’t change permissions (read-only filesystem, etc.):

bash ./script.sh
python3 ./script.py
node ./app.js

This bypasses the execute permission check because you’re running bash/python3/node (which IS executable), and passing the file as an argument.

Fix 3: Downloaded Script from the Internet

macOS quarantines downloaded files. Even with chmod +x, you might get blocked.

# Remove quarantine attribute
xattr -d com.apple.quarantine ./script.sh

# Then make executable
chmod +x ./script.sh

Fix 4: Trying to Run a Directory

# ❌ This is a directory, not a file
./my-project

# ✅ You probably meant
cd ./my-project

Fix 5: Wrong Shebang Line

If the script has a shebang (#!) pointing to a non-existent interpreter:

#!/usr/local/bin/python    # ❌ Python might not be here

#!/usr/bin/env python3     # ✅ Portable — finds python3 in PATH
#!/usr/bin/env bash        # ✅ Portable — finds bash in PATH

Quick Diagnosis

# Check current permissions
ls -la ./script.sh
# -rw-r--r--  = no execute (missing x)
# -rwxr-xr-x  = has execute

# Check file type
file ./script.sh

Related permission errors

• Linux: Permission Denied When Running Script
• Docker: Permission Denied
• npm EACCES: Permission Denied
• GitHub Actions: Permission Denied
• Git: Permission Denied (publickey)

Related resources

• Linux terminal cheat sheet
• Linux complete guide

Related: Bash Cheat Sheet